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Bill Ackman’s shocking question after Trump says Iran 'killing has stopped': ‘Did they make deal to let Khamenei leave?’

American billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman raised shocking questions after President Donald Trump said that the ‘killing’ in Iran had ‘stopped’. 

Published on: Jan 15, 2026, 10:23:44 IST
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American billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman raised shocking questions after President Donald Trump said that the ‘killing’ in Iran had ‘stopped’. Trump's statement came after he'd assured Iranian protesters for days that ‘help’ was on the way.

President Donald Trump had assured those protesting against Iran's Khamenei that 'help' was on its way. (X/@Praecursator007)
President Donald Trump had assured those protesting against Iran's Khamenei that 'help' was on its way. (X/@Praecursator007)

Notably, Ackman has been vocally pro-Israel, especially since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks. Israel and Iran, meanwhile, have been at loggerheads.

Ackman took to X to voice his discontent and raise questions about the Trump presidency, which earlier this month pulled off the unprecedented move of sending in armed forces who captured and brought back Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife to the US, to be indicted.

What Bill Ackman said

“Is it possible that Donald Trump made a deal to let Khamenei and son leave Iran?,” Ackman asked. There is no credible information to back the claim that Trump's statement had anything to do with Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei. While he said he had it on ‘good authority’ that the killings there had stopped, Iran has signaled fast trials and executions ahead in its crackdown on protesters. Further, Trump did not indicate if his comments meant that he would hold off on military action.

Also Read | Iran's airspace movement to Pentagon Pizza Index: Concerning report emerges amid Trump threats

Ackman added, “This would explain why President Trump has stated that ‘The killing has stopped,’ and why he is holding off on the attack for now.” Referring to the Iranian airspace closure, which had sparked buzz of an imminent US attack, Ackman continued “The skies could not be reopened above Iran without total certainty that there would be no attack.”

He claimed that this reopening of the skies was to allow Khamenei to seek safe passage to Moscow. Earlier reports had suggested that Khamenei would turn to Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin if protests in Iran drove him out.

“To be clear, this is a total speculation. I welcome the experts weighing in,” Ackman concluded his post.

In separate posts since then, Ackman speculated “I say they take Khamanei and family to China or Russia. A deal has been made. Again total speculation. Experts please weigh in.” He also questioned Trump's statement on the killings, saying “Has the killing actually stopped? Do we have any real time info from Iran?”

Ackman further speculated “This could suggest that a deal has been made and we are standing down so Khamanei and family can feel comfortable exiting safely. The IRGC halts the killing. We stand down. Khamenei evacuates to Russia or an alternative safe haven.”

Ackman is not the only one who has questions. Republican Senator from South Carolina, Lindsey Graham, also spoke out. He has been vocal about the protests in Iran as well, and said on X “Every indication that I’ve seen says that the Iranian regime’s killing of protestors is still very much in full swing. The death toll is mounting by the hour. Hoping that help is on the way.”

  • Shuvrajit Das Biswas
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Shuvrajit Das Biswas

    Shuvrajit has over seven years of experience covering US, India, and world news. An English Literature postgraduate from Jadavpur University, Shuvrajit started off covering entertainment, gaming and all things pop culture. There were brief periods away from the media industry, with short stints in content marketing, ed-tech and academic editing. However, the newsroom beckoned and over the last few jobs, Shuvrajit has exceedingly focused on team functioning as well, including tracking news and assigning tasks, working on everyday breaking news, framing detailed coverage plans, and creating immersive and data-driven stories. In his time as a digital journalist, he has covered a Lok Sabha election, multiple state elections, Union Budgets and award ceremonies. He has also helped in planning content for company event panels in the past. For work, Shuvrajit enjoys dabbling with data visualization, editing tools, and AI chatbots and attempts to incorporate AI workflows in everyday tasks. He is deeply interested in geopolitics, sports, films and music. Prompting is a new fascination for Shuvrajit now. Apart from that, he can be found doom-scrolling, sharing memes, or cheering on his favorite football team.Read More

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